Velasquez Discusses Cormier-Miocic

On July 7th, Daniel Cormier has the opportunity to become UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion. While this would be a historic accomplishment for Cormier, it could create an issue with his teammate and close friend, Cain Velasquez.

Cormier who left the heavyweight division initially to not face off against his fellow American Kickboxing Academy teammate, may interfere with Velasquez’s plans to once again reign supreme in the UFC’s biggest weight class.

Velasquez last was inside the Octagon in July 2016, and does not currently have a fight booked. The former two-time champion with a record that includes just two losses against 14 victories. Velasquez’s inability to stay healthy has led to fighters like current champion Stipe Miocic surpassing him both in the Octagon and in the record books.

Not long after his victory at UFC 220, it was announced that Miocic’s next defense will be against Cormier, the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, at UFC 226 on July 7th.

Shortly after that news broke, Velasquez sent out a tweet that left some wondering what his plans will be after the winner of that superfight emerges:

On Monday, Velasquez appeared on The MMA Hour to provide some clarification.

“What did I mean by that?” Velasquez said.

“Things could get interesting, man. He’s at heavyweight, I’m at heavyweight. What am I gonna drop down? I don’t know. Things could get interesting, yes. We don’t know how things are going to play out. I think it’s cool what he’s doing, he’s going up in weight, but s**t he’s fought there before at heavyweight so he’s gonna do it again.”

Velasquez’s comments echoed Cormier’s who would guest on the same episode of The MMA Hour. Cormier joked that maybe Velasquez was hinting at a move to the 205-pound division as opposed to a battle between friends at heavyweight.

Velasquez himself seemed to take that suggestion lightly, though he does believe he can make the 205 weight limit.

“If I had to do it, I could do it,” Velasquez said.

“I think it would be hard, but it’s just the will of the person. If I really want to do something, I could do it. Again, things could get interesting, so we’re just going off of that and we’re just going to play it by ear. First things first, helping him get ready, me get ready, and then getting that job done in July, both of us.”

Velasquez would love for both he and Cormier on the card for UFC 226, so that they could coordinate their training camps and work together to prepare for the event. Velasquez has no qualms about Cormier vying for the title that he himself has vowed to regain.

“We talked about it and I’m all for it, I support Daniel 100 percent,” Velasquez said. “I feel like I just have to go back and prove myself. I have to get a fight and show people why everyone should fear me, so I have to go out there, I have to look impressive. I do plan on fighting again, I’ve never had talks of a retirement. Not yet. I still want to do this.

“He called me up, he told me that he had this opportunity. I was just like, ‘Yes, we can do it.’ We can get ready together, that’s the best for us. He’s fighting on that card in July, I’m going to try to get on that, hopefully. I think that would be perfect and enough time for me to get on that card and me and Daniel can train together and get ready together because when we do that, that’s when we are the best.

“I think it’s a very good scenario, it’s perfect for Daniel, I think he can pull this off and s**t, I’m going to make it my priority to go out there and train with him so he does get that W. He will, he will get that W.”

Even if Velasquez is able to get booked on the same card as Cormier, he’s not planning to swap weight classes with his teammate just yet. Having been out of competition for 18 months, he’s looking to return “comfortably” at heavyweight before making any drastic changes. And regardless of what happens at UFC 226, any talk of him ever meeting Cormier in the Octagon appears to be off the table.

“Would I ever fight (Cormier)? No, I wouldn’t,” Velasquez said. “I wouldn’t fight him. I think he feels the same way. We’re teammates, we’re friends, we’ve done a lot with each other. I think it would be easy, me and him, just because we spar so much, s**t, it would just be another day at the office.”